Esther's Innocence Read online

  Esther’s Innocence

  by Benjamin J. Boswell

  BOOKS by BENJAMIN BOSWELL

  Paradise Series:

  In Search of Paradise

  Esther Series:

  Esther’s Innocence

  Retribution (upcoming)

  Cover art by Fiona Jayde Media

  Copyright © 2018 Benjamin J. Boswell. All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without express permission in writing from Mr. Boswell.

  1st edition

  ISBN: 1983432342

  ISBN-13: 978-1983432347

  DEDICATION

  I’d like to dedicate this book to my patient wife and loving children

  CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Chapter 1 Esther

  Chapter 2 Tewksbury

  Chapter 3 Trouble

  Chapter 4 Ruse

  Chapter 5 Madrausan

  Chapter 6 Captive

  Chapter 7 Mechanic

  Chapter 8 A Thought

  Chapter 9 Nautilus

  Chapter 10 Rigger

  Chapter 11 An Idea

  Chapter 12 Battle

  Chapter 13 Stranded

  Chapter 14 Others

  Chapter 15 Easterners

  Chapter 16 Training

  Chapter 17 Oluchi

  Chapter 18 Shattered

  Chapter 19 Trial

  Chapter 20 Deyr

  Chapter 21 The Beach

  Chapter 22 Preparation

  Chapter 23 Journey

  Chapter 24 Revelation and a Moral Quandary

  Chapter 25 Al Farnaka

  Chapter 26 A Most Unusual Encounter

  Chapter 27 An Unexpected Guest

  Chapter 28 The Palace

  Chapter 29 A Ball

  Chapter 30 Daniyah

  Chapter 31 Storm

  Chapter 32 A Desperate Gamble

  Chapter 33 Something Unexpected

  Chapter 34 Retribution

  PROLOGUE

  This is it, thought Esther, a shiver of fear running down her spine, there’s nowhere else to run. A large man stood in front of her, a broad, wickedly curved sword grasped firmly in his hand. The fear swelled until it gripped her heart, sending icy waves of panic rushing through her body, like a flash flood in a springtime rainstorm, threatening to wash away her grip on the tiny limb of rational thought she had remaining.

  Her mind spun as she tried to think, groping for something—anything—to get her out of the trap that had closed in around her. It was then that she spotted the Wheelock handgun strapped to the man’s chest. Surprise momentarily quelled the surging fear as she contemplated this apparent incongruity. Such weapons were rare and horribly expensive. She had spent some time with Marigold’s father discussing the handgun’s design. How had this man come to possess one?

  “Where are they!” he roared suddenly, wrenching her attention away from the weapon. He stepped closer and Esther flinched involuntarily. His explosive anger made her heart beat even faster until it felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. Fatigue vanished momentarily as adrenaline coursed through her body, blurring her vision.

  “I…uh.” she stammered. She didn’t know what to think! She didn’t know what to say! The man leaned over her menacingly, his face just inches from her own, his foul breath filling her nose. Its sudden, awful stench had an effect like that of smelling salts, clearing her vision, and in that moment a course of action unfolded in her mind.

  She tensed, then thrust herself up and forward, slamming her forehead into the man’s nose. He yelled, grabbing his face, and she pushed herself away, pulling the Wheelock pistol free as she stumbled back. Gripping the gun in her left hand, she pulled the pistol’s ‘dog’ back with her right, making sure that the pyrite was resting on top of the pan cover just the way that Mr. Meriwether had told her. She pointed it squarely at the man’s chest and fired, flinching as the concussion from the sound washed over her. The man jerked back a step, a look of horrid astonishment crossing his face as he pressed a hand to his chest. His gaze locked with hers, and for a moment, pain and fear mixed with the look of surprise in his eyes. He took another step back, turned, and fell to the ground, then lay still.

  Esther stood there in shock, staring down at the body of her would-be attacker. She had just killed a man—taken a life and snuffed it out. She could never take that back—never go back to the way things were. Guilt slammed into her like a runaway wagon and her body swayed. She had known exactly what she was doing when she had grabbed the Wheelock pistol and shot him down. Was this murder? It had happened so fast.

  She started shaking uncontrollably, her hands barely able to grip the pistol. Never before had her mind seemed to move so slowly, as if bogged down in molasses. She stood above the dead man, frozen in place, her body quaking. Tears welled up in her eyes. Tears of shame for her actions; tears of sorrow for the fallen man; tears of rage at the universe for what she had been compelled to do. Why couldn’t they have just left her alone?

  CHAPTER ONE

  Esther

  Before everything turned upside down, everywhere I looked the world was fresh and innocent. My biggest concerns were the weather and getting the farm work done. My mind was full of pleasant thoughts and memories—I smile as a write this because I sound like a grandmother writing a memoir, instead of a sixteen year old girl writing in her journal.

  The summer sun was hot and heavy, the air thick and stagnant. Esther knelt in the dirt examining rows of short stemmed, leafy plants, beads of perspiration glistening on her light-brown skin.

  "Esther!” A young girl’s voice carried across the neighboring field of knee high prairie grass. Esther lifted her head and squinted as the sun penetrated the shade of her broad brimmed straw hat. Spying the top of her little sister’s blonde head in the distance, she stood, dust falling from the long skirt of her plain, dark brown farm dress. It was a snug fit, without the poofy skirts that the older women wore, but Esther didn’t mind—it made it more practical to work in, even if the snug fit revealed a slim figure that stubbornly held onto childhood, the soft curves of womanhood only marginally apparent, making her look younger than her sixteen years—darn it! The thought made her smile. Her mother said that she had a unique confidence and self-awareness that helped offset her youthful appearance, but Esther wasn’t convinced.

  Sweat trickled down her chest to the broad u-shaped neckline of her dress. Though not particularly low, the cut of her dress did help keep her cool on warm summer days working in the fields. Summer had just started and it had been an unusually warm one thus far. Esther drew a handkerchief from a pocket sewn into her skirt and wiped the sweat from her forehead, raising her other hand to wave to her little sister.

  “Over hear, Alley!” Alley was her half-sister really—her golden, curly locks contrasting greatly to Esther’s own straight, long hair which was dark brown enough to be almost black. Her mother had come to the village seven months pregnant with Esther, an obvious foreigner with her naturally tanned skin and dark brown hair—penniless, and a widow. She was a hard worker and had eventually found a job at the only Inn in town—the Rosebud—where she’d met Esther’s adoptive father, Hans Kelley. Sixteen years later, they now had seven more children, three boys and four girls. Her parents were content and life was good for them, but her own thirst for knowledge kept her constantly wanting more than the simple life of a farmer’s daughter.

  Esther’s large bro
wn, exotically angular eyes hinted that her birth father's ancestry might be even more unique to Ardmorr than her mother’s. Her mother had told Esther that her birth father had been killed by thieves, but would never say who her father had been, or where he had come from. She knew there was more to it, but didn’t push it—yet.

  Esther watched her five year old little sister come bounding through the prairie grass, leaping as high as she could to try and get above it, her blonde ponytail bouncing up and down. Of all her siblings, Alley had by far the lightest skin, taking after her father. Esther smiled and tucked the handkerchief back into her pocket.

  “Esther! Esther! Look at what Mrs. Nichols gave me for helping with her laundry!” The young girl bounced up to Esther with a huge smile spread across her pale face, her cheeks flush with exertion. She leapt into Esther’s arms, displaying a dull metal coin in the palm of her hand. Esther settled Alley on her hip and examined the coin. Alley was growing up fast and it wouldn’t be too much longer before Esther wouldn’t be able to hold her like this anymore.

  “And guess what?” continued Alley, the delight plain on her face. “Merchant McKinney is here and I’m going to spend it!”

  “Merchant McKinney is here already?” Esther raised an eyebrow in surprise. The last she had heard, he wasn’t expected for another couple of weeks.

  “Yes! Mrs. Nichols’ son Jed just got back from town and said that he saw Merchant McKinney’s airship coming in! Mom says we’re going to town today instead of tomorrow!”

  The summer festival was tomorrow and families from the whole area surrounding Tewksbury were going to be there. Esther loved the summer and fall festivals. They were the two biggest celebrations of the year, except for Christmas. She and her three friends were doing a special dance as part of the celebrations, and they had been practicing it for the better part of three months. Because they lived so far from each other, they had a difficult time getting together and had to do some of the practicing on their own.

  She loved to dance, but at the moment, a burning curiosity swept all thoughts of dancing away. Why had Merchant McKinney arrived a full two full weeks ahead of schedule? Such an occurrence was unheard of. He knew the farmers in this area weren’t going to have the latest crop harvested and ready to be shipped yet. Something must have caused him to come early. She wondered what that could be.

  The last time he had come through, she had spent her entire savings to order two new books—one on alchemy and the other on mathematics. Excitement built up in her stomach as she thought about obtaining the results of her investment. She hated having to spend most of her savings, but she had already devoured every book in the village and the supply of readily available knowledge was dwindling rapidly.

  Her mother would be very upset if she knew Esther had spent that money on books. She was supposed to be saving it as her portion of her dowry for when she got married. Many of the girls only a few months older than Esther were being courted by young men from as far away as Worchester. Most would be engaged in six months and married shortly thereafter. Esther didn’t have time for young men at the moment. She counted herself fortunate that most didn’t seem interesting in pursuing her yet. Most likely, her foreign heritage and youthful appearance kept them away. A few had found her exotic enough to set aside their reservations and ask her to dance at the festivals and such. None had seemed interested in developing any sort of relationship though. Of course, it was a little early for any to come courting just yet.

  Esther looked down at the plants she had been working with. It looked like her current project would have to wait. She gently set Alley down and grabbed her shovel. Taking Alley by the hand, she turned and began walking back towards the house. It was a fairly simple structure, built by her adoptive father shortly after he and her mother had married. It wasn’t large, but it fit their family comfortably, with a large kitchen and family area. Separate bedrooms for the boys and the girls had been added later.

  When they reached the steps leading up to the backdoor of the house, Esther followed Alley into the mudroom neighboring the kitchen. Her mother and Mrs. Charlotte stood next to the table in the center of the kitchen cleaning up their sewing supplies. They had been working on costumes for the festival when Esther had left earlier.

  Esther’s mother was slim and fit and she had heard many people say that she was an attractive woman. Esther definitely thought her mother was beautiful, but then again, she was a bit biased. Mrs. Charlotte was round and a bit plain faced, but had an attractiveness all her own, confirmed by the fact that her gorgeously handsome husband absolutely adored his wife.

  Esther’s mother turned to look at them. “Esther, you’re covered in dirt! What in the world have you been doing?”

  “Sorry mother,” Esther replied, feeling a bit sheepish, “I was out in the Saug fields working with some of the plants that I’ve been experimenting with.”

  Her mother sighed. “Well, as I’m sure Alley has told you, we’re heading into town early and we’ve got to be leaving soon. You’d better go wash up and get changed. You can’t go looking like that!”

  “Yes, ma’am,” said Esther and headed for the stairs up to the bedroom she shared with the other girls.

  “Alley,” Esther heard her mother say, “Go find your father and tell him to be sure and load this trunk on the wagon,”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Alley echoed, dashing back out the door.

  - - -

  After Esther and Alley had disappeared from view, Mrs. Charlotte leaned over to Mrs. Kelley. “So how are things going with Esther?” she asked in a hushed tone, “I remember you were quite worried about her the last time we talked.”

  Mrs. Kelley sighed, closing the trunk, “She’s doing fine.” Another sigh. “When it comes to her studies, she’s remarkable, and you’ve seen how she can dance, it’s just…,” she paused a moment, rubbing her lower back with her thumbs. She sighed yet again. “I guess I was hoping that getting her involved in dancing with the other girls would help get her head out of the clouds. Help her focus on practical things a little more.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Mrs. Charlotte.

  “Well…you know how she is. She gives one hundred percent to whatever she sets her mind to. It’s just that…well…when she’s done with her work, she’s always off doing…unusual things. Whenever we’re in town she’s talking with the blacksmiths or the carpenter’s…or borrowing more books. I’d just like her to spend more time with those her own age. Or like today,” said Mrs. Kelley, gesturing towards the stairs Esther had just gone up. “She comes home covered with dirt and sweat, doing who knows what out in the Saug fields, when she could have been in here working with us on the costumes for the festival. I know I didn’t ask her to, and we didn’t really need the help, but I just would have liked her to want to. Does that make sense?”

  “Ah, yes,” replied Mrs. Charlotte quietly, “I think I do.” She paused for a moment in thought. “You know Niniva…everyone is different, and you’re oldest daughter is more different than most. She may never share the interests that you have—or that you want her to have.”

  Mrs. Kelley sighed again. “I know. You’re right, Sara, and I am really proud of her, but…it just worries me. What is she going to do with her life? If she doesn’t enjoy any of this,” she held her hands up, gesturing to everything around her, “then what will she enjoy, and where will that take her?”

  - - -

  The road into town was busy—the news of McKinney’s early arrival encouraging many families to head into town earlier than originally planned. Of course busy in this part of the country simply meant that you actually saw someone else, Esther thought with a smile. In this case, however, the road really did seem a little congested as the wagons threw dust into the air. Esther coughed into her hand as another dust cloud blew over her.

  The Kelley’s, the Nichol’s, and the Charlotte’s were all traveling together, making the hour long wagon ride much more bearable as family members interacted w
ith each other and friends gathered together. The weather was beautiful and the sky was clear. The slight wind—although a nuisance with the dust—kept the heat from growing unbearable and made the journey pleasant.

  Very few of them actually rode in the wagons—most walked beside them instead. Some of the older boys rode horses, but generally the men, women, and children walked along chatting and playing. The wagons were full with cargo of various sorts—from trunks full of clothes, costumes, and other items for the festival, to large vases containing the oil extracted from the Saug plants Esther had been studying earlier. The oil would be sold to Merchant McKinney. It was a cash crop and grew well in this area. The oil was used in the manufacture and operation of the airships that plied the skies throughout the Kingdom and the world.

  The Island Kingdom of Ardmorr was a wealthy Kingdom, and one of the reasons for that wealth—Esther had learned from her studies—was the optimal climate for growing Saug. Another reason was its fortunate location between the northern continent and the larger, more desert-like equatorial continents of the South, making it a convenient trade and supply hub. The Island Kingdom of Rodheim to the north also shared this advantage, but Ardmorr—due to its more southerly position—also captured the trade that flowed between the east and the west, causing many of the more wealthy merchants to favor Ardmorr over Rodheim. In addition, Ardmorran ships were some of the most highly sought after because of their unique design, construction techniques, and the superior northern timbers from which they were constructed.

  “Esther!”

  The voice broke through Esther’s thoughts as she realized that her friend Charity had asked her a question.

  “Oh…sorry,” said Esther, turning her head to her friend walking beside her and dipping it apologetically. They were about the same heights, but that was about their only similarity. Her friend had flame red hair, fair skin with just a smidgen of freckles, curves that Esther envied, and a bright personality. To Esther, she was just a fun person to be around.